Will Sarah Palin Have An Effect on the Women's Vote?

By Heather Gehlert, AlterNet
Posted on September 7, 2008, Printed on December 3, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/www.alternet.org/97909/

John McCain is clearly trying to court the women's vote with his selection of Sarah Palin for the Republican party's VP. But a survey conducted after Palin gave her acceptance speech at the GOP convention suggests that McCain might not be getting the boost he'd hoped for.

The survey, conducted by Women's Voices. Women Vote Action Fund (WVWVAF) between Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, gauged the reactions of 1356 women -- 1295 of whom are likely to vote in the November election. Many of the women supported Hillary Clinton during the primaries but now say they are undecided. The survey found that while both married and unmarried women were impressed by the delivery of Palin's speech, they were left with questions about its substance. Women voters walked away without a clear idea of how Palin would handle some of the United States' most serious problems, like the economy. And while some women moved toward the Republican party, an equal number back away from it.

Heather Gehlert is a managing editor at AlterNet.

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